1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to footstraps as employed with devices for riding upon such as sailboards, and the like, and more particularly, to an improved arrangement for releasing the foot to avoid injury.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Sailboards such as those used in the sport of boardsailing or windsurfing are a fairly new innovation (approximately 1977) which have grown rapidly in popularity. As sailors gain proficiency in the sport they tend to sail faster (speeds can approach 40 knots) and become airborne off waves. Inasmuch as sailboards are steered with the sailor's feet, most sailboards are equipped with footstraps to insure solid foot contact and control of the sailboard.
Existing footstraps have no mechanism to quickly release the sailor's feet in the event that he or she falls off the sailboard. Consequently, injuries occur to feet, ankles, knees and legs.
The current and most frequently used method for avoiding injury is for the sailor to adjust the size of the footstraps small enough so that only this toes are engaged in the footstraps. This facilitates quick removal of the foot in the event of a mishap. But in practice, most sailors insert their feet much farther into the footstrap either because the straps are adjusted too large, they stretch, or the sailor likes the secure feeling of having more of his foot under the strap.
Various approaches to providing a release mechanism for footstraps appear in prior art. One approach is to form the footstrap in two parts which are joined by Velcro (Registered Trademark) fastener strips. The force necessary to release the strap is adjusted by cutting off some of the Velcro fastener mating strips so that the straps will tear apart under the predetermined force. The disadvantage of this approach is that once the footstraps are modified in this manner they cease to be adjustable to different footsizes or even to the same sailor who may want to sail with booties in cold weather and bare feet in warm weather.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,199 describes a release means for sailboard footstraps which can be set to release at a predetermined force. This patent utilizes two mating parts. The female part clamps onto the metal bosses on the male part. The clamping force is controlled by assembling one or more thin packing pieces to vary the opening on the female part. Changing these packing pieces requires disassembly of the mechanism including removal of two nut and bolt assemblies. This is disadvantage because the release mechanism needs to be easily changed to release at a force which relates to a sailor's weight and sailing style. Sailboards are often used by more than one sailor on a given day, therefore it is important that footstrap release forces by easy to change on the beach and on the water without tools.
Additionally U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,199 provides no visual indication to tell a sailor what release force has been set. Another disadvantage is that the mechanism can't be added to the existing footstraps on a sailboard. It requires the complete and costly replacement of the existing footstraps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,063 describes mounting a release mechanism on the sailboard much like a ski binding is mounted on a ski. This has the disadvantage of becoming a toe-stubbing obstacle to the barefoot sailor, and it prevents mounting two footstraps closely one in front of the other. Also like U.S. Pat. No, 4,693,199 it cannot be added to existing footstraps and requires costly replacements.
Thus it can be seen that there is no easily adjustable releasing arrangement for sailboard footstraps and the like which is at the same time streamlined, light, simple, adjustable on the water, providing a visual indication of release force, and is able to be added on to existing footstraps.